Symptomatic Treatment of Subepithelial Infiltrates after Viral Conjunctivitis: Loteprednol or Dexamethasone?

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To compare the efficiency and ocular side-effect profile of topical loteprednol applied to one eye and topical dexamethasone applied to the other eye in the early period on the same patient who has subepithelial infiltrates (SEI).

Methods: The patients who developed bilateral SEI following epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) were applied topical loteprednol on one eye (group 2) and topical dexamethasone on the other (group 1).

Results: Decrease in the symptoms was faster in the dexamethasone group, but this difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.073). Both groups were found to have substantial recurrence. However, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.131).

Conclusions: The study has found that in the treatment of SEI, which developed after EKC, statistically similar results can be obtained with loteprednol, which is known to have fewer adverse effects.

Keywords:

• Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis
• subepithelial corneal infiltrates
• topical dexamethasone
• topical loteprednol

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As far as we know, this is the first study in the literature comparing the two drugs on different eyes of the same patient who has subepithelial infiltrates after viral conjunctivitis. The authors did not receive any financial support from any public or private sources. The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in a product, method, or material described herein.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.